morrill



Feb. 21, 1956 H. L. MORRILL, JR

INK SUPPLY MEANS FOR FOUNTAIN PEN 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Feb. 14, 1950 IN VENTOR ATTORNEYAI 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 21, 1956 H. MORRILI., JR *L I INKSUPPLY MEANS FOR FOUNTAIN PEN med Feb. 14, 195oWM/7///A7/////////////////// 7 Ill .I

zu Q l 8 W ATTORNEYS 2,735,403 INK SUPPLY NIEANS FOR FOUNTAIN PEN HarryL. Morrill, Jr., Marietta, Ga. Application February 14, 1950, Serial No.144,171 Claims. (Cl. 1Z0-42.16)

The invention relates to fountain pens and has as an object theimprovement of details of fountain pen structures.

Among the objects of the invention are: the provision of a novel meansfor hinging the filling lever; of a novel sac presser and spring releasefor said presser; of a novel reserve ink carrying means; of a novel capretainer; of a novel leakage storing means, and of such otherimprovements in structure as will appear from the following description.

illustrative embodiments of various features of the invention are shownin the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the pen and its cap in separated position;

Fig. 2 is a central longitudinal section upon an enlarged scale, of thenib end of the pen with the cap in place;

Fig. 3 is an extension downwardly of Pig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a detail central longitudinal section of the reservoir end ofthe pen;

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4 showing a second form of reserve inkretaining means; and

Figs. 6, 7, 8 and 9 are transverse sections on the corresponding sectionlines of Figs. 1 and 2.

As shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the pen comprises a reservoir section 10 anda writing end section 11 illustrated as joined by a plain slip joint at12 providing spaced shoulders 13, 14 between which there is retained acap retaining ring 15 to be described. The shoulder 14 provided by theend edge of the section 10 is of greater width than the shoulder 13 andthe excess width seats against a shoulder 16 formed on the section 11,the result being that the ring groove between shoulders 13 and 14 cannotbe so restricted as to pinch the ring 15 to hamper its expansion andcontraction in cap gripping action.

A circumferential groove 17 is desirably provided for receipt of cement.It is obvious that a screw threaded joint could be utilized between thesections.

The cap 18 is shown as comprising a metal shell portion 19 and an innerliner 20 which may desirably be formed of a plastic or the like.

To coact with the ring 15, the edge of the open end of the shell may beswaged inwardly, very slightly as illustrated at 2l, Fig. 2.

Bleeding has been a nuisance with at least many fountain pens. Suchbleeding is caused by pressure or temperature effect upon the airpresent in a partially filled reservoir which causes the ink in thecapillary passages adjacent the nib to be forced out. It may be causedby increase of body temperature on the part of the owner who carries thepen on the person, or by transportation to different altitudes withresultant changes in atmospheric pressure.

To retain ink thus forced from the pen and thus prevent soiling ofclothing or the lingers, the liner 20 is shown as formed with capillaryslots 22 sulicient in capacity, in the aggregate, to take up and retainthe maximum nited States Patent amount of escaping ink at each instance.Since the bleeding is infrequent, the ink retained at one time willnormally be permitted to dry up, leaving the slots 22 open for anensuing instance of bleeding. This pen cap construction, which includesthe liner 20 having the capillary slots 22 therein, is disclosed andclaimed in application Serial No. 144,159, filed by Herbert W. Samsconcurrently with this applicaiton and now abandoned.

To retain a pocket clip 23, the shell 19 is shown as formed with adepressed portion 24 in which an eye 25 of the clip is seated and theliner 20 is formed with an internal screw thread for reception of a capscrew 26 formed with an ornamental head 27.

To vent the interior of the cap, aligned openings 28, 29 are shown inthe shell and liner to lie behind the clip 23. To ensure registration ofthe hole 29 with 28 the liner 20 is shown as formed with a slot 30receiving a tongue 31 struck inwardly from the material of the shell.

The cap retaining ring 15 of the invention is in effect two rings formedof an integral length of wire desirably of the cross-sectionillustrated. The wire of which the ring is formed is bent to form onesubstantially complete turn, then deflected into a cross-over, as 32Fig. l, then continued into a second substantially complete ring, theends of the two rings terminating closely adjacent the cross-over, asshown.

This form of cap retention is found to function in a superior manner, ascompared with a single split ring.

As shown, the feed bar 33 of the pen extends in a bore in the section 11and is formed with a capillary slot 34 opening below the nib 35 and tothe interior of an ink sac 36 at 37.

To compress the sac 36 for expulsion of air, in filling the pen, apresser plate 38 is placed in contact with the sac and pressure isapplied by a lever 39 pivoted upon a ring 40 as at 41. The ring 40, foranchorage, is shown as seated in an internal groove 42. To return thelever and allow the sac to return to normal with intake of ink in theusual manner a spring 43 is shown overlying the pressure plate 38,extending to a bight 44 and continued as a return bend at 45. Theresilience of the bight serves to cause the return pressure upon thelever 39.

To retain a reserve supply of ink when the free ink in the sac isdepleted there is shown an absorptive body in the sac.

In Fig. 3 the absorptive body is illustrated as a body of spongymaterial as sponge rubber at 46 located adjacent the delivery end of thesac below the lever 39. In Fig. 4 the spongy body is located in theclosed end of the sac. In Fig. 5 the spongy body 47 is illustrated as apledget of glass wool located above a constriction of the sac. Thebodies are shown as adhered to the wall of the sac by means of anadhesive 48 which may desirably be rubber latex.

When the sac is filled the spongy body will be saturated and theabsorbed ink will be retained after apparent failure of the ink supply.

When failure of flow of ink indicates that the pen needs refilling, thework in hand may usually be nished by actuation of the filling lever toexpress the ink from the spongy body for further use.

As is well known the probability of exudation of ink from the pen isgreatest when there is little ink remaining therein. When such residueof ink is entirely held in the feed bar it is not infrequent to find theentire supply in the cap. By the structure of the present inventioncapillary means is provided in the cap to take up the exudation andcapillary means is provided in the ink reservoir to hold some ink whichcannot be expelled by expansion of air in the reservoir. Therefore, bythe combination of the two capillary means, the ink expelled isprevented from soiling the clothing and after such untoward event thepen is still available for use.

Minor changes may be made in the physical embodiment of' the invention,within the spirit of the appended claims, without departureV from thespirit thereof.

What is claimed is:

1.v A fountain pen comprising an elongated pen body, a exible sacforming an ink reservoir housed within said pen body and extendinglongitudinally thereof, said reservoir having a delivery end incommunication with a capillary ink-feed'V passage located in said penbody, a body of ink-absorbent material located within said reservoir,said absorbenty body being attached to a Wall of sa'id sac and beingspaced from the delivery end of said reservoir, the size of saidabsorbent body being substantially less than the volume of saidreservoir, a filling lever, and means supporting said tilling lever onsaid pen body, said ill'ing lever being operable to collapse thenrelease said sac to draw ink into said reservoir through said capillaryink-feed' passage to saturate said absorbent body and till saidreservoir, said absorbent body acting to trap a portion of the ink drawninto said reservoir, the, remainder of said ink being free ink capableof being drawn from said reservoir by said capillary ink-feed passagewhen the pen is used for writing, said absorbent body being compressibleby said iilling lever to expel ink held by said absorbent body into saidreservoir and thus free said ink and make it available to said ink-feedpassage to provide a small reserve supply of free ink within saidreservoir after the original supply of free ink not trapped by saidabsorbent body has been depleted.

2. A fountain pen comprising an elongated ink reservoir having a closedend and a delivery end, said closed end being deiined by a collapsiblewall portion of said reservoir and said delivery end being incommunication with a capillary ink-feed passage, and a body ofinkabsorbent material positioned Within said reservoir at the closed'end thereof, the size of said absorbent body being substantially lessthan the vol-urne of said reservoir, said collapsible Wall portion beingcollapsible then releasable to draw ink through said capillary ink-feedpassage and into said reservoir to saturate said absorbent body and fillsaid reservoir, said absorbent body acting to trap a portion of the inkdrawn into said reservoir, the remainder of said ink being free inkcapable of being drawn from said reservoir by said capillary ink-feedpassage when the pen is used for Writing, said absorbent body beingcompressible by said reservoir collapsible wall portion to expel inkheld by said absorbent body into said reservoir and thus free said inkand make it available to said capillary ink-feed passage to provide asmall reserve supply of free ink within said reservoir after theoriginal supply of free ink not trapped by said absorbent body has beendepleted.

3. A fountain pen according to claim 2 in which the closed end of saidreservoir is deined by a tiexible sac having a constricted portion, andsaid absorbent body is held by the constricted portion of said sac.

4. A fountain pen comprising a exible sac forming an ink reservoirhaving a closed end and a delivery end, said delivery end being incommunication with a capillary ink-feed passage, a body of ink-absorbentmaterial positioned' within saidl reservoir adjacent the closed endthereof, the size of said absorbent body being substantially less thanthe volume of said reservoir, and means to collapse then release saidsac to draw ink through said capillary' ink-feed passage and into saidreservoir to saturate said absorbent body and lill said reservoir, saidabsorbent body acting to trap a portion of the ink drawn into saidreservoir, the remainder of said ink being free ink capable of beingdrawn from said reservoir by said capillary ink-feed passage when thepen is used for writing, said absorbent body being compressible by saidsac collapsing means to expel ink held by said absorbent body into saidreservoir and thus free said ink and make it available to said capillaryink-feed passage to provide a small reserve supply of free ink Withinsaid reservoir after the original supply of free ink not trapped by saidabsorbent body has been depleted.

5. A fountain pen comprising an elongated ink reservoir having adelivery end in communication with a capillary ink-eed passage,A saidreservoir being defined at least in part by opposed collapsible wallmembers, and a body of ink-absorbent material positioned within saidreservoir away from the location Where said capillary ink-feed passagecommunicates with said reservoir, said absorbent body being attached toone of said collapsible Wall members and being spaced from the opposedcollapsible wall member when said collapsible Wall members are notcollapsed whcreby ink may feed past` said absorbent body to saidcapillary init-feed passage, the size of said absorbent body beingsubstantially less than the volume of said reservoir, said collapsiblewall members being collapsible then releasable to draw ink` through saidcapillary inkfeed passage and into said reservoir to saturate saidabsorbent body and ll said reservoir, said absorbent body acting to trapa portion of the ink drawn into said reservoir, the remainder of saidink being free ink capable or" being drawn from said reservoir by saidcapillary inkfeed passage when the pen is used for writing, saidabsorbent body being compressible by said collapsible wall members toexpel ink held by said absorbent body into` said reservoir and thus freesaid ink and make it available to said capillary ink-feed passage toprovide a small reserve supply of free ink within said reservoir afterthe original supply of free ink not trapped by said absorbent body hasbeen depleted.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS587,032 Blair July 27, 1897 1,353,625 Brandenberg Sept. 21, 19201,425,607 Rorison Aug. 15, 1922 1,428,333 Kaufman Sept. 5, 19221,560,061 Kish Nov. 3, 1925 1,797,425 Klaus Mar. 24, 1931 1,909,130Sherin May 16, 1933 1,939,649 Ashmore Dec. 19, 1933 2,438,231 Schultz etal. Mar. 23, 1948 2,453,491 Cardin Nov. 9, 1948 FOREIGN PATENTS 611,819Francev July 17, 1926

